The findings are particularly relevant as consumers increasingly use TikTok, Instagram, and other digital platforms to research products before buying. Rather than relying only on advertisements from brands, consumers are increasingly looking at reviews, demonstrations, and personal experiences shared by content creators.
For Proper Racing Line, affiliate marketing has become one way to bridge the gap between promotional messages and consumers' need for practical product information. The company works with automotive affiliates who produce reviews, educational content, installation guides, performance tests, and firsthand product experiences.
Why follower numbers do not tell the whole story
One of the study's most notable findings is that an affiliate with a large number of followers does not necessarily generate the highest sales.
According to the research, Proper Racing Line considers whether an affiliate's audience matches the company's target market, rather than simply choosing creators based on follower count. Interviews with the company's representatives found that some affiliates with relatively large audiences generated limited sales, while affiliates with fewer followers were sometimes able to produce better sales results.
This means that the right audience can be more valuable than a large audience.
The researchers found that consumers pay attention to whether an affiliate understands the product and can explain its functions, benefits, and actual performance. Content based on direct product experience can make technical automotive products easier for potential buyers to understand.
TikTok Affiliate linked to 25–30% increase in online sales
The study also reports a significant business result from Proper Racing Line's use of TikTok Affiliate.
Muhammad Fajar Sidiq, a Proper Racing Line brand representative interviewed for the study, said the company's online product sales increased by approximately 25–30% compared with the period before the TikTok Affiliate program was implemented.
The researchers emphasize that this figure comes from the company's internal information reported during the interviews. It therefore represents the experience of the studied brand rather than a universal estimate for all businesses.
Even so, the finding illustrates how affiliate marketing can contribute to sales when promotional content reaches consumers who are genuinely interested in the products.
Reviews and real experiences matter
The research identified three major elements behind effective affiliate marketing: affiliate credibility, promotional content quality, and relationship management.
Affiliate credibility concerns how much consumers trust the person recommending a product. An affiliate who has actually used a product can provide information based on personal experience rather than simply repeating specifications supplied by a company.
Muhammad Daffa, one of the affiliates interviewed, said he prefers to use products himself before producing promotional content. This approach allows him to discuss product quality, advantages, and performance from direct experience.
The study also found that consumers tend to understand products more easily when promotional content demonstrates how the products are used. Reviews, educational explanations, and demonstrations can give consumers information that may not be available in conventional brand advertisements.
For automotive products, this distinction can be especially important because buyers may want to know not only what a component does, but also how it performs in real-world use.
Study uses interviews with brands, affiliates and consumers
The researchers used a descriptive qualitative approach. Instead of relying primarily on numerical surveys, they gathered detailed information through interviews and documentation.
The participants included Proper Racing Line's internal staff, automotive affiliates, and consumers who had purchased the company's products through affiliate content. The research examined affiliate marketing activities on platforms including TikTok and Instagram.
The researchers interviewed Proper Racing Line representatives Yohanes K. Winata and Muhammad Fajar Sidiq, as well as affiliates Muhammad Daffa (@Daffakaye), Destiar Aldiarto (@aldisiro_), and Ario Wibisana (@karyooism). The study also included consumers who purchased Proper Racing Line products through affiliate content.
Information from the brand, affiliates, and consumers was compared to strengthen the findings.
Implications for businesses and digital marketers
The study suggests that businesses should reconsider how they measure affiliate marketing success.
High views, comments, likes, or follower counts may indicate strong engagement, but they do not automatically translate into purchases. In the Proper Racing Line case, consumers seemed to value relevant information, firsthand product experience, and trust in the affiliate.
For businesses, the findings point to several practical considerations:
- Choose affiliates based on audience relevance, not only follower numbers.
- Prioritize product knowledge so affiliates can explain products accurately.
- Encourage firsthand product experience before promotional content is created.
- Use educational and review-based content, rather than relying exclusively on sales messages.
- Maintain communication between brands and affiliates to ensure promotional information remains consistent.
The researchers also found that the ongoing relationship between Proper Racing Line and its affiliates matters. Coordination concerning products, promotional information, and sales campaigns helps maintain the effectiveness of the marketing strategy.
A lesson for the wider digital economy
The Proper Racing Line case provides a broader lesson for businesses competing in an increasingly crowded social-media marketplace: digital marketing effectiveness is not simply a numbers game.
A smaller creator with a highly relevant audience and strong product credibility can potentially be more valuable than a celebrity influencer with millions of followers but little connection to the product category.
The researchers conclude that affiliate marketing can help consumers obtain clearer information about products and can influence purchase decisions through recommendations and real-world experiences. However, they caution that the study focused on a single automotive brand, meaning its findings should not automatically be generalized to every industry.
Author Profile
The article focuses on digital marketing, affiliate marketing, consumer purchasing behavior, and marketing communication in the automotive industry. The source file does not provide the authors' academic degrees or more specific individual areas of expertise, so those details are not added here.
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